This wouldn’t be the first time we’ve sung the praises of heavy cream and its many superpowers when it comes to transforming dishes savory and sweet. But without a doubt, its ability to aerate into a fluffy, rich cloud and make our favorite desserts more beautiful and more delicious is cream’s greatest talent. No pre-whipped version can hold a candle to the results of <a href=”https://www.saveur.com/video-how-whip-cream-hand”>whipping it yourself</a> by hand or a machine, or even <a href=”https://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/whipped-cream-in-a-jar”>in a jar</a> flavoring them. These delicious ideas use whipped cream to take a dessert over the top. (Matt Taylor-Gross/)
The oldest and most popular dessert at San Francisco’s legendary Zuni Café, this gluten-free chocolate cake boasts a fine, tender crumb and bold chocolate flavor. Get the recipe for <a href=”https://www.saveur.com/best-flourless-chocolate-cake-recipe/”>The Best Flourless Chocolate Cake</a> (Matt Taylor-Gross/)
This celebratory pie is only as good as the quality of your ingredients: look for a premium ice cream and top-shelf liquor. English-style digestive biscuits have a distinctive wholemeal texture with a buttery richness and an undertone of brown sugar. Get the recipe for <a href=”https://www.saveur.com/story/recipes/lalla-rookh-pie/”>Lalla Rookh Pie</a> (Kat Craddock/)
Retro and mousse-like, lemon chiffon pie is a diner classic. Just don’t call it meringue. Get the recipe for <a href=”https://www.saveur.com/lemon-chiffon-pie-recipe/”>Lemon Chiffon Pie</a> (Grant Cornett/)
This sweet pudding-like dessert from Sickles Market in Little Silver, New Jersey, gained popularity in the United Kingdom during the 17th century. You can discard the solids after straining the berries, but we love eating them on top of it along with freshly whipped cream. Get the recipe for <a href=”https://www.saveur.com/sickles-blackberry-flummery-recipe/”>Blackberry Flummery</a> (Farideh Sadeghin/)
A chocolately winter favorite gets the hot weather treatment in this icy frozen drink from San Francisco’s Dandelion Chocolate. Get the recipe for <a href=”https://www.saveur.com/story/recipes/frozen-hot-chocolate-with-cacao-nib-cream/”>Frozen Hot Chocolate with Cacao Nib Cream</a> (Eva Kolenko/)
A decadent mix of chocolates and ginger ups the ante on a classic Southern pie. Get the recipe for <a href=”https://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/chocolate-ginger-chess-pie/”>Chocolate Ginger Chess Pie</a> (Andrew Ingalls/)
These Norwegian wafer cookies, eaten across Scandinavia during the Christmas season, are light and crisp and perfumed with cardamom. They’re made like waffles on a special griddle that imprints an intricate design, and then they’re rolled and filled with whipped cream. Get the recipe for <a href=”https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Krumkakes-Norwegian-Wafer-Cookies/”>Norwegian Wafer Cookies (Krumkakes)</a>
This creamy caramel-like pudding has become a Los Angeles classic. Get the recipe for <a href=”https://www.saveur.com/butterscotch-budino-pudding-recipe/”>Butterscotch Budino</a> (Matt Taylor-Gross/)
This nearly forgotten recipe comes to us from the beloved Ships Diner in Los Angeles that closed in 1995. The whipped cream filling doesn’t require any cooking—no custard here—while some slices of banana and toasted almond add texture and flavor. A fast, easy-to-make pie from a bygone era that deserves a comeback. Get the recipe for <a href=”http://www.saveur.com/easy-french-banana-cream-pie-recipe”>Classic French Banana Cream Pie</a> (Wes Frazer/)
This pudding takes the best part of a traditional <em>mont blanc</em>—the chestnuts—and dispenses with the fussy meringue, so you can enjoy chestnuts in all their toasty glory, with no distractions. Get the recipe for <a href=”https://www.saveur.com/chestnut-pudding-recipe/”>Chestnut Pudding with Nutmeg Whipped Cream</a> (Matt Taylor-Gross/)
Served in glistening mahogany cubes, this caffeinated dessert caps off the meal at Boston’s Durgin-Park. Get the recipe for <a href=”https://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/coffee-gelatin-with-whipped-cream/”>Coffee Gelatin with Whipped Cream</a> (Ingalls Photography/)
My mom, Ellendean, would occasionally surprise me with this creamy chocolate pie when I came home from school, then watch as I devoured a quarter of it while watching “M*A*S*H” reruns. <em>—Former Saveur editor, Keith Pandolfi</em> Get the recipe for <a href=”https://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/chocolate-pudding-pie/”>Chocolate Pudding Pie</a> (Helen Rosner/)
Ground almonds add body and flavor to this creamy Swedish cheesecake, topped with clouds of whipped cream and ripe strawberries macerated with fresh mint. Get the recipe for <a href=”https://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/ostkaka-med-farska-jordgubbar-och-mynta-almond-cheesecake-with-macerated-strawberries-and-mint/”>Almond Cheesecake with Macerated Strawberries and Mint</a> (Farideh Sadeghin/)
Browned butter accentuates the flavor of earthy walnuts and a sour cream topping offsets the richness of the filling for a balanced, delectable dessert. Get the recipe for <a href=”https://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/brown-butter-walnut-pie-with-sour-whipped-cream/”>Brown Butter Walnut Pie with Sour Whipped Cream</a> (Andrew Ingalls/)
A crunchy crust and pudding-like filling make this pie a standout. Get the recipe for <a href=”https://www.saveur.com/chocolate-cream-pie-recipe/”> Chocolate Cream Pie</a> (Matt Taylor-Gross/)